We all know that the Texas heat can become almost unbearable between now and the early fall. To help you stay cool and keep your monthly utility bills at an acceptable amount, we’ve compiled some cooling season tips to help ease your pain:

• Try to grin and bear it – If the heat hasn’t risen too much and you can bear to keep your thermostat set a bit higher than usual, do it. Try to keep it set at 78 degrees when you’re home and 85 degrees when you’re away.
• Schedule a check-up – Hire an HVAC technician to give your unit a check-up each year. This will keep it running more smoothly and efficiently.
• Upgrade your AC – When your cooling equipment begins showing its age, it won’t work as well to keep you cool and will cost you more because of compromised efficiency. Upgrading to a new AC that has been certified by Energy Star will greatly improve your home comfort. For the best models, look for the new Energy Star Most Efficient label.
• Change your thermostat – If you’re still using a manual thermostat, upgrade to a programmable model that will allow you to preset the days and times that your AC turns on and off. If you’d like even greater control, try a WiFi model that you can connect to through the Internet or a smartphone app.
• Use a fan – The less you use your AC, the more money you’ll save. On mild days and cooler evenings, just use your ceiling or floor fans. On hot days, the fans can supplement the cooling effect of your AC. Fans use only a fraction of the energy. Just remember that fans cool people, not rooms, so be sure to switch them off when you’re not around.
• Seal air leaks – Air leakage will force your system to work harder to achieve the same results. Sealing air leaks will help improve cooling system efficiency.

For more expert cooling season tips or any other home comfort issues, please contact the professionals at Bill Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve been serving the needs of McKinney, Frisco and Allen since 1978.